In the literary world, there is no greater fabulist than Aesop. Absolutely everyone can—at the very least—paraphrase one of Aesop’s fabulous little fables, and the morals gleamed from his captivating prose have survived thousands of years and countless adaptations.

Wondering what a fable is? They’re a literary genre that tend to be short, fictional stories with heavily anthropomorphized characters that tend to be animals or forces of nature brought together to emphasize a catchy moral.

Tuck in and enjoy a selection of 4 NFB films based on Aesop’s wonderful fables. If you’re looking for more, check out our post on fairy tales here.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

Fable: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

Enjoy Evelyn Lambart’s artful rendition of Aesop’s fable about two mice who learn it’s better to live a simple, peaceful life than a luxurious one filled with danger.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, Evelyn Lambart, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

The North Wind and the Sun: A Fable by Aesop

Fable: The North Wind and the Sun

You might not know this fable, but it’s a charming little story. The warm sun proves to the cold wind that persuasion is better than force when it comes to making a man take off his coat.

The North Wind and the Sun: A Fable by Aesop, Rhoda Leyer & Les Drew, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

The Lion and the Mouse

Fable: The Lion and the Mouse

As you can probably tell, Evelyn Lambart animated quite a few of Aesop’s fables in her incredibly distinctive style. Enjoy this beautiful animation where a little mouse proves to a mighty lion that usefulness isn’t based on size.

The Lion and the Mouse, Evelyn Lambart, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

The Bear and the Mouse

Fable: The Lion and the Mouse

This film is a little variation of Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse fable. Instead of a lion, we happen to have a bear, and both animals just happen to be 100% real. Watch as they act of the fable with all-natural talent and flair.

The Bear and the Mouse, F.W. Remmler & Ingmar Remmler, provided by the National Film Board of Canada